Ozark aldermen mull 229-acre Marabella development

Steve Faria is one of the developers of Marabella.

Kristen Haseltine: Diversity of housing is an economic development win.

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The roughly 229-acre mixed-use Marabella development in Ozark is one step closer to fruition after a trio of bills related to the project were given first readings by the city’s aldermen on Oct. 20 – more than three years after the municipality began consideration of the project.

The Ozark Board of Aldermen is scheduled to hold a second reading and vote on Nov. 3 for the bills that call on the annexation and rezoning of the Marabella property and the approval of a preliminary plat for the development, said Mayor Don Currence. The currently vacant land is bordered by North Farmer Branch Road on the west and Bluestem Road on the east, and it’s located east of the Ozark campus of James River Church and south of the quarry.

Michael Roberts represented the developer, Marabella LLC, and noted he serves as chief financial officer for the business ventures operated by the family of property owners Steve and Connie Faria. Beyond plans for Marabella, the Faria family operate four resorts on Table Rock Lake via Faria Resorts LLC, according to the company’s website. 

Roberts described the Marabella development as “a community within a community” where families could reside through their various stages of life, whether that’s through apartments or entry-level homes to start off or custom homes with a larger footprint as they progress. He pointed to a project scope that comprises 789 total dwelling units including apartments, single-family homes and town houses, 10 commercial lots and amenities such as a 6,000-square-foot pool and splash pad, trails, clubhouse and multiple sports courts.

“Our goal for this is not to just come in here and build the homes. What we really have desired at 10 years from now [is] that people look at this development and it holds eye appeal and it holds quality and allows people to stay in this community in different phases of their life,” Roberts said.

Marabella would be completed in 18 phases, Roberts said, pointing to a timeline of five to 10 years and a goal of five to seven years.

The rezoning would change the land to a planned unit development.

Kristen Haseltine, president and CEO of the Show Me Christian County economic development organization, spoke in support of the project at the Oct. 20 board meeting.

Haseltine said the diversity of housing and sales taxes generated through new commercial development would be economic development wins for the community.

“We do hear about the lack of diversity in the housing inventory in southwest Missouri,” she said. “Diverse housing impacts both employee attraction and retention. We feel this project will positively impact the need for housing and bring in more variety to the area, as well.”

Back before board
The city of Ozark previously reviewed the Marabella project in 2022, according to past Springfield Business Journal reporting.

Roberts said on Oct. 20 that reductions in project density were among changes since that time in response to resident feedback. Utility infrastructure and traffic also were among concerns that have delayed the project, and entries and exits into the development have been reconfigured as well, he said.

“Anything regarding traffic concerns or additional water runoff from the development, we’ve tried to address the best that we possibly can by staying out of the flood zone and then really going a little bit above and beyond what is called for in the traffic study,” Roberts said.

Additionally, the Marabella developers petitioned the Missouri Public Service Commission in an attempt to secure Ozark Electric as the utility provider for the project, Roberts said, noting the decision was crucial to whether the development would occur.

“We thought that process was going to go faster. It didn’t. Matter of fact, we had to postpone and pull back our annexation application for that very reason,” Roberts said. “But as of June 8 of this year, the Public Service Commission approved a jurisdictional swap between Liberty Utilities and Ozark Electric for Ozark Electric to be the utility provider for this project, which was a huge win for us. I can confidently  say if that switch had not taken place, I would not be standing here talking to you.

“It would have killed the project.”